


Diggy Diggy Hole

by butterflyslinky



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 05:16:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3838504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflyslinky/pseuds/butterflyslinky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo has an instinct. Thorin is confused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diggy Diggy Hole

**Author's Note:**

> For the kink meme prompt [here. ](http://hobbit-kink.livejournal.com/14338.html?thread=25882882#t25882882)

It first started at Beorn’s house. Thorin noticed Bilbo was in the garden often with a spade, digging up holes. He thought nothing of it at the time—the Hobbit had missed his own garden and was probably just happy to get his hands back in the soil.

And if it had him coming in smelling of earth and sweat and other living scents, Thorin was not going to complain.

But after a few days, Thorin realized that Bilbo wasn’t planting anything in the holes he dug. He would dig one, then frown at it and move on to dig another.

Beorn only laughed when he observed this. “The fat little bunny just wants to burrow,” he said, and he allowed Bilbo to keep digging as much as he wanted.

“What do you think?” Bilbo asked one day as Thorin sat nearby, watching him dig.

“About what?” Thorin asked, nonplussed.

“About this.” Bilbo gestured at the newly dug hole.

“Um…very good?” Thorin had no idea what to say.

“I think it’s a bit dry,” Bilbo said. “But that’s the soil. Maybe if I dig it deeper…?” He looked to Thorin, as though asking an opinion.

“Bilbo, it’s a hole,” Thorin pointed out, unsure of what else to say.

“I know that,” Bilbo said. “But it needs to be a good hole! I’m afraid it isn’t exactly up to snuff yet…maybe over here would do nicer.” He took his shovel and walked a few feet over to start digging again.

Thorin still hadn’t figured out what was going on when they left Beorn’s house, but he decided to leave it alone. After all, digging holes wasn’t the strangest thing Bilbo had ever done.

But it soon became apparent that the habit wasn’t going to stop. As they rode toward Mirkwood, Bilbo would stop every now and then and start digging, this time using his bare hands. Thorin would indulge him for a minute before he would tell him to keep up. Bilbo always looked rather hurt when this happened.

A few nights later, they were camping on the plains. Bilbo had immediately dropped to the ground and started digging, delving deeper into the earth. Thorin had to admit the Hobbit had stamina, but he still couldn’t for the life of him tell why Bilbo was doing this.

Thorin sat beside Gandalf, who also watched Bilbo’s digging with amusement. Thorin glanced at the wizard. “What is he doing?” he finally asked. If anyone would know, it was Gandalf.

“Burrowing,” Gandalf answered simply.

“Why?”

Gandalf raised his eyebrows. “Because he’s in love.”

Thorin blushed. He and Bilbo had tried to keep their trysts discrete, but of course Gandalf knew about it. “What does that have to do with digging holes?” he asked.

Gandalf puffed on his pipe for a moment. “When Hobbits fall in love, they have a sort of nesting instinct,” he explained. “They start digging holes everywhere to please their lover and prove that they can build a sturdy home one day.” He gave Thorin a look. “They often seek the approval or even the help of their mates. I notice Bilbo’s been digging for days with only a few words from you to keep up.”

Thorin looked down. “I didn’t know,” he said. “So when I’ve ignored his holes…”

“He feels that he is inadequate so he keeps trying harder,” Gandalf finished for him. “Probably thinks he’s already not good enough for a king, so he has to prove he can dig a good hole.”

Thorin looked back at his burglar. The hole he was digging was already a foot deep and Bilbo was still clawing the dirt out and tossing it off, no doubt trying to make the hole as big as he could in the time he had. With a nod, Thorin rose from his seat, took off his heavy cloak, and walked over.

“That’s very good,” he said. Bilbo looked up, surprised. Thorin smiled. “But it needs to be a bit wider.” He knelt in the dirt and sank his own hand into the earth. Bilbo watched, entranced as Thorin pulled a handful of soil out and tossed it onto the growing pile nearby.

Bilbo started digging again, kneeling at the bottom of his hole. As soon as there was enough space, Thorin lowered himself down beside him and started digging as well.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Diggy Diggy Hole](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11776176) by [Kuismai (Lumelle)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Kuismai)




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